Unpopular opinion: stop using pruning paint on oak trees

Saw three guys last week at a job site in Austin painting every cut on a live oak. Told them the arborist at my local extension office said it traps moisture and rot. Has anyone else seen this catch on recently or is it just here?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda_reed4d ago

...so my buddy who manages a big property near San Antonio went against what he learned in his certification last year and painted cuts on a bunch of old post oaks to "look professional" for the HOA. Six months later he had to grind out three stumps because the bark peeled off like wet paper towels and the rot went straight to the heartwood. Now he's the one telling everyone to leave the damn wounds alone.

robinp894d ago

Saw something similar on a podcast with a Texas A&M forester a few months back. He said painting cuts on oaks is basically inviting rot because those open wounds need air to dry out properly, not paint that traps moisture. @linda_reed your buddy's story is exactly what that expert warned about, especially with post oaks that are already prone to fungal issues. That bark peeling like wet paper towels sounds like the cambium layer just gave up completely. It's wild how many people still think a little black paint makes a cut look "clean" when it's doing the exact opposite underground.